Paradigm Shift
by Ren Apple
Summary: The story takes place six months after Naruto leaves Konoha to train with the Legendary Sannin Jiraiya in Hinata's point of view, but outside the world of the Leaf danger is lurking. Hinata-centric


**Title:** Paradigm Shift**  
Fandom:** Naruto**  
Characters:** Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, Uzumaki Naruto, Aburame Shino, Yuuhi Kurenai, Yakushi Kabuto, Orochimaru, Uchiha Sasuke**  
Warnings:** Alternate Universe, Angst, Torture**  
Rating:** NC-17 (Eventually)

**Summary:** The story takes place six months after Naruto leaves Konoha to train with the Legendary Sannin Jiraiya in Hinata's point of view, but outside the world of the Leaf danger is lurking. Hinata-centric

**Author's Notes:** No pairing decided yet, this is a part-time… I don't know. I can't sleep because of this story. You can blame this for the total revolution in my writing as you can see is a complete 180 degrees away from my usual works and probably hetero too! Do not expect frequent updates, please. I am not quite sure where it is going, but I am trying to improve my writing style so any criticism is appreciated. Thank you.

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**Chapter One  
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Hinata sighed, sitting quietly on a fallen log outside of the Team 8 training grounds. The breeze blew softly across her face, and she closed her eyes enjoying the slight coolness caressing her skin. Hinata opened her eyes, looking towards the sun. Was it just her imagination or had the sun dimmed in _his _absence? She shook her head at her own silliness and sighed again, it was not time to think of Naruto-kun. She looked around the clearing perplexed, where was her team? Unlike Kiba-kun, it was odd for both Shino-kun and Kurenai-sensei to be late.

Hinata stood, shivering slightly as the breeze raised her jacket and brushed across her stomach. Her hands formed the seal to activate her Byakugan, and veins bulged through the skin around her eyes as she opened them wide to search the vicinity. Hinata gasped as Kiba and Akamaru jumped out of the forest and into her line of vision. "Kiba-kun! Akamaru-kun!" She exclaimed in surprised and deactivated her Byakugan.

"Hinata!" Kiba shouted in greeting as Akamaru yipped excitedly. "Hinata! Guess what?" His gaze settled on her imploringly as he hopped from one foot onto the other. "Guess! I bet you can't guess, but go ahead and guess anyway!"

Hinata smiled softly at her boisterous teammate and brought a finger up to her chin in faux contemplation. "Hmm, what could Kiba-kun be so excited about?" She asked, a small glint of mischievousness lurking within her pale violet depths. "Could it be that we have a mission?"

Kiba frowned exaggeratedly, "How did you guess?" He looked down at Akamaru with his hands on his hips and a scowl upon his face. "Akamaru!" Kiba shouted, "Did you tell Hinata we had a mission?" He turned his head away dramatically. "I knew it! You just couldn't keep it to yourself." He sniffed loudly. "I knew you liked Hinata-chan better than me."

Hinata raised her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her giggle and the faint blush spreading across her cheeks.

Akamaru growled and barked pitifully, looking fully a tried and convicted puppy.

Hinata obviously chastised pressed her forefingers together, and looked down desolately at Akamaru. She bent over and pet Akamaru's ears gently, "I am sorry, Akamaru-kun, we were just playing." She scratched underneath his muzzle, the hairs tickling her fingertips. "Could you ever forgive me and Kiba-kun?"

Akamaru whined softly, looking up at her with big, wet eyes.

Kiba had the grace to blush. "Yeah, I was just playing, Akamaru!" Kiba said, rubbing the back of his head abashed.

Akamaru yipped and stuck out his tongue, before jumping away from Hinata's arms and looking smug.

Hinata gasped happily surprised. "Akamaru-kun!"

Kiba laughed uproariously, slapping his knee repeatedly, as the sound rang loudly throughout the clearing. "Oh, he got us good, Hinata! Go Akamaru!"

Akamaru gave a happy bark, hopping on his hind legs. He looked up to his partner Kiba expectantly.

Kiba grinned. "Alright you win," he said putting Akamaru on top of his head. "Time to go."

Hinata's eyes widened fractionally. "Where are we going, Kiba-kun?"

Kiba waved his hand in the air, slowing his steps. "To the tower, of course! We gotta go meet Shino and Kurenai-sensei in front of the Hokage Tower to receive our mission, probably another D-Rank. I hope it's not rescuing that stupid noble lady's fat cat again. I swear next time we have to I am going to let Akamaru have at it! "

Hinata frowned, stepping quickly after him. "That is not nice, Kiba-kun. How would you feel if you were Neko-chan, and you got lost all the time so far away from home?"

"Well, I don't know. Depends whether or not I am running away from that lady's vise grip like arms or something… If I am," he paused for the effect, "I would wanna stay hidden far away from home too. If you know what I mean, right Akamaru?"

Akamaru barked agreeably.

"Yeah, I actually feel kinda sorry for that cat. We might be actually doing it a favor. That lady is a monster, buddy."

A small, melancholy smile curved at the corners of Hinata's lips. She felt like a different person around her team. No one but Hiashi-sama and herself saw the failure that she was. Her teammates did not grasp the fact she had yet to master the most basic of the Hyuuga techniques. Kurenai-sensei told her she had the determination to strive for her dreams and the spirit to fight for everyone she wanted to keep safe. She just wondered if this was true why couldn't everyone else see that?

Akamaru yipped and Kiba turned around to look at his teammate. Hinata was playing with the hem of her jacket and her body posture was tense. She had a deep frown marring her lips and her brow was crinkled in deep contemplation. He just knew she was thinking of Naruto, her father, or maybe even that bastard Neji.

They took a slight detour away from the training ground. Kiba decided to lead them through the narrow streets out of the line of foot traffic. Buildings were still in disrepair. Walls and roofs collapsed under the strain of battle. People harried to and fro carrying large ladders and supplies, the damaged surplus having already been removed. They stepped between a large pile of wood and steel pikes, smiling at the workers and assigned genin teams that worked in tandem to rebuild the restaurants and homes they loved.

Hinata seemed preoccupied, and Kiba did not know what he could say to Hinata. He was different from Shino and Kurenai, words did not come the same way to him. They would always know what to say. Kiba growled silently, if he ever got his hands on that Neji kid- He shook his head. That would not help her now. "Hina-"

"Hinata, Kiba, it is about time you got here." Kurenai stated sternly, eyes roaming each of them individually before settling on Kiba. "May I ask why you are late? It should have taken less than five minutes and you were indisposed for twenty." Kurenai frowned, red eyes glowing ominously. "When we complete our mission we will _discuss_ why shinobi should not be late for missions or meetings with the Hokage. Is that understood?"

Hinata bowed her head, a red blush overtaking her entire face. She squirmed, shuffling her feet and pressing her forefingers together, "Um, I-I'm s-sorry, Kurenai-sensei. We did not mean- It was my fau-"

Kiba pulled up his hood and glared at the stairs mulishly. While Akamaru growled softly beneath the fur covering of his coat. It wasn't his fault.

Kurenai sighed and ran a hand red painted fingernails through her hair, "I see. I am very disappointed in the both of you." She turned to Shino standing on the stairs, next to one of the chuunin guards, her back to Kiba and Hinata. "Come."

Tears prickled against Hinata's eyes. She hated disappointing Kurenai-sensei it was always so much worse than disappointing her father, because she actually cared whether or not she passed or failed. Hinata sniffed and wiped away an errant tear. She gasped as Shino gave her shoulder a reassuring touch.

"Do not worry. Kurenai-sensei was only worried about your tardiness. This mission has her very unsettled and she unreasonably released her frustration upon you."

Hinata nodded, tears subsiding. "I-I know she only worries f-for our safeties, Shino-kun. I am only sad that I have d-disappointed her."

Shino nodded and pressed his finger to the bridge of his sunglasses in irritation. "That means you also, Kiba."

Kiba coughed back a laugh, "I know, bug boy. Don't get snappy with me! Have you used your word allowance for the day, yet?" He cracked a large grin at the irritated buzzing sound surrounding Shino, and wrapped his elbow around Hinata's neck. "Cheer up, Hinata-_chan_. She will cool down in abit. Don't worry."

Hinata nodded hesitantly, blushing. "O-okay."

Kurenai opened the oak doors leading into the Hokage's office, her eyes watchful over her pupils as they entered. The disquiet in the air was palpable and she hated how that her emotions had overcome her and she overreacted, but it was still a turbulent time around Konoha. The occasional beam or building was known to collapse on helpless civilians, though her students were anything but helpless. She still worried.

It was not unusual for her team's expertise to be needed, but the urgency in which they were requested was foreboding. Kurenai had to cancel her teams training for the foreseeable future.

Stepping into the new Hokage's office was rather daunting, she thought. The office was neither large nor opulent, but it had an air of something it had lacked during the last weeks of the Sandaime Hokage, an air of purpose. There were no chairs in sight, and the desk took up the majority of space in the room. Tomes and scrolls were open with tabs of notes in the margins along the bookcases. The large windows behind the Hokage's desk gleamed with light, and the air scented with the smells of herbs and stale sake.

Shizune, the Hokage's assistant, coughed politely behind Tsunade who had been sleeping quite comfortably over a stack of forms needing her signature. Tsunade started, her head shooting up and her pigtails swinging from side to side in the air. She coughed, wiping away a string of saliva at the corner of her mouth. "Shizune?"

Shizune sighed, rearranging the papers on her desk and whispered into her ear. "Kurenai's team is here, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade nodded, a little dazed, and adjusted her coat. "Ah, yes." She gazed at Kurenai and her team standing behind her. "I see." Tsunade sat a little straighter, eyeing her desk speculatively. "Aha!" She shouted, picking up a small green scroll. "Here is your mission, the orders are written inside. You should look them over." Shizune took the scroll from her hand, bringing it over to Kurenai.

Yuuhi's eyes widened, and the muscles throughout her body tensed. "Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade met Kurenai's eye over the desk seriously. "Kurenai-sensei you will brief your team of the mission details in their entirety. But in essence, your reconnaissance team has one of the most experienced members of the ninja corps in dealing with the fugitive, you. And it is imperative that scroll is retrieved from the fugitive who has possibly escaped into the Land of Lightning. The Raikage has given permission to enter his country if necessary to capture the fugitive. But it is under extreme duress I ask you to be careful Kurenai with your team." Tsunade gave a pointed look to the young fidgeting Hyuuga. "You have a main branch family member on your squad and if I remember correctly the last time Cloud shinobi were in close proximity, they tried to abduct her." Tsunade said, staring at Hinata sadly. "We can not afford an international incident."

Hinata ducked her head and pressed her fingers together harshly, her breathing a little ragged. How could she forget that night? That night had torn her family apart. Shino stood a little straighter, his body standing a strong wall of comfort behind Hinata as she worked up the courage to beat her tumultuous emotions.

Kiba gnashed his teeth together, "What do you mean? You don't think we can protect her?" He exclaimed, puffing out his chest. "We would never let anything happen to Hinata! Right, Akamaru?!" Akamaru barked in agreement, "She is our teammate so don't you go thinkin' we won't, and you aint' seen nothing until you see Hinata in battle!"

"K-Kiba-kun!" Hinata shouted, with a furious blush. She pulled at the hem of her jacket, smiling softly. "T-thank you, Kiba-kun."

Tsunade smiled. "I know, you are good teammates and have a very competent jounin to watch over you," she cleared her throat and a steely resolve entered her voice, "but as your Hokage, I will warn you of any and all danger I can to assist you in completing your mission. As shinobi of the leaf, I will not see you fail because of misguided information. Is that clear?"

Kurenai frowned and put the scroll into her satchel, "Is it truly necessary for us to retrieve the scroll, Hokage-sama? They are only a team of genins. I am not sure they are prepared for a B-rank mission of this caliber."

She silenced Kiba's awaiting loud retort with a preemptive glare. "Besides," the words caught in her throat, "Yakum-"

Tsunade frowned, running a hand through her hair tiredly. "No!" She shouted sharply, "It was not your fault what happened with the Kurama. Unfortunately, you are the only team not assigned with the right qualifications for the mission." She eyed the genin team speculatively. "You need to have more faith in your team, Kurenai. They survived the chuunin exams, where many did not. Now, get out my office," she said, with a particularly cheeky smile to take the sting out of her remark. "And bring back that scroll!"

Shizune watched them leave with a small frown on her lips. "Are you sure there was no one else, Tsunade-sama? I have a bad feeling about this mission."

Tsunade closed her eyes and leaned back heavily into her chair. "There was no one else, Shizune. Believe me, I wish there was. But like I told Kurenai, I have faith in her team."

Shizune nodded, taking a small pile of papers into her hands. "I believe you, Tsunade-sama. I just wish it was not them to go after Kurenai's previous student."

"The Byakugan should be able to see through Kurama's kekkei genkai capabilities, and with Kurenai's superior genjutsu, they should be alright." Tsunade opened her eyes, and stared at the wall. "We just have to have faith they will be alright."


End file.
